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Capability Transformation and Competitiveness

Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge, EU Framework Programme Six

In the 1990s and early 2000s Ireland achieved significant economic growth that has been characterised by rising high-tech exports and knowledge-based employment. However, as this growth was driven primarily by the presence of foreign-owned multinational corporations in high-tech sectors, its sustainability has always remained a basis for debate. In the current state of economic instability, an understanding of industrial change and the technological capabilities that underscore the Irish economy at present is essential. In a comprehensive search for information on business enterprises and industrial change in Ireland we found a serious lack of reliable and complete enterprise-level data required to investigate these issues. In an attempt to overcome such limitations we constructed a new database populated with company and product-related data which allows for a deeper understanding of technological change and industrial development in Ireland. The new database consists of up-to-date business demographics for key technology-based clusters in Ireland. The finely granulated, product-based classification system of the database allows for the examination of technological activities, the specification of technology-related clusters and most importantly, emerging technologies and technology management capabilities. The database represents a systematic approach to identify key industrial clusters that are creating a competitive position for Ireland.